Tuesday, 21 October 2014

With the Change in weather and the Cold Damp spell we have had.
I spent the weekend clearing the last of the Vegetable Patch
After a Crazy year of Veg There was still lots left!!
Had a Huge Glut of Veggies
Lots of Squashes and Large Marrows that were Hidden under the Large Leaves
Plus 3 Kilos of Green Tomatoes

The Cooking Bug took me and I got the Big Cooking Pots out

Here are all those Gorgeous Green Tomatoes with Great Bright Colours Ready to make a Chutney

And a selection of Large Marrows and squashes /Pumpkins
(not sure of some of these varieties as my garden has a tendency to self seed!!)

A selection of Mini Courgettes and squashes (these became a nice pasta Dish That Weekend Yum!)

Here is a Brief Glimpse of The Green Tomato Chutney
This was at the Half way stage
I had chopped 3 kilos of tomatoes and 500 Grams of Onions
But well worth it, I had lost my recipe, so found this one here Grans-Green-Tomato-Chutney
Love the Yummy Smells of Chutney around the house!!
and this tasted Great when cooked and made 5 large Jars.

I didn't get pictures of The Marrow Ginger Jam, made this using the large 2 kilo Marrow
I was looking for something new to do with all my Marrows and This was truly Yummy and super easy recipe.
Found the recipe online here allrecipes.co.uk ginger-marrow-jam
I did add alot more Ginger (more like large 10cm piece, rather than 3cm piece in the recipe!)
as i love that warm flavour of ginger and thought if would be great topping for toast or porridge during Autumn Winter Months!!
The Jam made Four Large Jars and already only have 2 left
My Parents Pinched a jar and my Brother the Other
Gorgeous Jammy Ginger Preserve and no one Realised it was nearly all marrow
Think I will be making More!!

Busy This week With all Things Christmas
My house will be a Glittery Mess By the end of the Week :-))

Wednesday, 15 October 2014

Continuing from Yesterdays Update of my daughters Shabby Chic Bedroom is a Piano Stool
It was bought from a Sunday Outing (Carboot!)
It had seen better days
No top and had been warped and Knocked out of square
So a little DIY and More of the Vintage Music Paper,
To finish the stool We topped it with some Pretty Vintage Curtain Fabric
also Found at a Sunday Outing (Love a Carboot!)
What do you think ?!

From This ......

Had to sand the whole Body and top remove any stray nails
and Straighten the leg Squaring up the Body

Also Decided to seal up the fold down front of the draw as didn't think we would need this and the whole thing would work better as a draw

A little Glue and some chipboard Pieces and everything was fixed
I also went across the joints with filler and sand paper to smooth Flat

So Voila This is the Finished Stool

Wrapped in Vintage Music Paper Pieces
Each Handcut and Wrapped

Topped with a Pretty Cottage Floral Fabric

And the Draw Lined with a Large Thick Paper Vintage Map

I reused the Original Draw Pull
Do you like The Scallop cut design on the Paper
Liked this as a Join Looked Prettier Than Flat edges

No sign of the fold down front :-)

All Finished with a Pale Shabby Chic White Wash to Blend and Finish The whole Look
One Very Happy Girl!!

Tuesday, 14 October 2014

I have been doing some small projects for my daughters room
She is loving the shabby Chic Look
So after a Large Purchase of Vintage Music Paper on a sunday outing
a few Pieces have had a Makeover
Here are 2 of them

A Little Jewellery Nail Varnish Unit
Painted White with Music paper details and a Pale Coral Pink Music Paper Cover
All given a whitewash finish.

And a set of Ikea Draws
Covered in Vintage Music Papers and Given a Faint White wash finish
She also has a book case and chair that where given a Cottage Shabby Chic Finish
Will have to show these soon
Her room is almost all White and Music Paper
I will get her to my Cottage Chic Ways :-)

Tuesday, 7 October 2014

Over the Year I have been finding Lots of Gorgeous Vintage Toys to add to the shop
Here is just a small selection of what i have been finding!!

Gorgeous Pull along wooden Gorilla
He would rock as he went along
Solid wood with all wood fixtures such a great find and i found 2 !!

Classic Red London Bus with lots of labels love the look of this

Another Great Wooden Toy Lovely solid wood Tipper Truck
Below a Super cute Dinosaur Money Box with Perspex sides
I love the way he is looking back as if counting the money in his belly!

The so Bad is Good Plastic, Vintage Irish Toy Duck
Love the weird outward looking eyes?!

And Lastly the Yellow Duckies these were rather ugly and badly painted
so i had a little diy job
I painted them Yellow with a bright Orange beak, but they looked too clean
they were given a sand and a Shabby Chic finish and a new strong string and bead to pull along

Have loved finding toys especially the wooden variety
Something lovely about the Handmade robust Quality.
Will be hopefully finding more for the shop especially for those great stocking filler presents:-)

I have a Few Online Shops that have Grown over the Years My First started when my Magpie Tendencies of collecting were slowing filling every nook and cranny of my world! Etsy was my place to Grow a Vintage Business Salvaging things I found and loved.Here is my Vintage and supplies shop https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ChocolateBoxCottage

I Decided to open a shop just selling a selection of my Handmade goods Using vintage materials Papers and beads You can find a whole collection of Cottage Inspired Quirky designs Here